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Friday, December 18, 2009

FHS graduate plays role in Copenhagen
Oiler's Lube Express - Findlay
By DENISE GRANT

Staff Writer

A 1995 Findlay High School graduate helped pen an agreement signed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this week, aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in the dairy industry.

Erin Fitzgerald was on stage Tuesday with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Copenhagen as he signed an agreement with U.S. dairy producers to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by the year 2020.

"... Climate change is already affecting and impacting U.S. agriculture, land resources, water resources and our biodiversity and will continue to do so," Vilsack said. He called the agreement "historic" and "the first of its kind."

Fitzgerald called it the right thing to do.

She works as director of social and environmental innovation for Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill., a planning and management organization that works to build demand for dairy products. Dairy Management Inc. and other groups manage the American Dairy Association, the National Dairy Council and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

She is the daughter of Denny and Anita Fitzgerald, and the granddaughter of William and Rita Fitzgerald, all of Findlay. She has lived in Chicago for five years.

The agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the dairy industry may help make methane gas digesters, which use the gas emissions from cows to generate electricity, available for all sizes of dairy farms. Dairy operations with anaerobic digesters routinely generate enough electricity to power 200 homes, according to the agriculture department.

Additional support from the agriculture department could include research on how feed mixtures affect methane emissions from cows.

The entire dairy supply chain, from cattle feed to the consumer's table, accounts for about 2 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to a study by the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas.

"We sometimes refer to it as the triple bottom line: profitable, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. That's good business and there is clearly room to innovate," said Fitzgerald. "Take the light bulb, for instance, it is only 4 percent efficient in its conversion of electricity into light. There is room for innovation."

Fitzgerald is also an Aspen Institute fellow. The institute, based in Washington, D.C., Aspen, Colo., and in Maryland, works to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.

Climate change is a critical issue, Fitzgerald said, since in 40 years there will be an estimated 90 billion people to feed.

"That's a scary number," she said. "We have to start looking at what meeting that goal means."

Warming temperatures will mean problems for the entire agriculture industry, Vilsack told the conference Tuesday.

Higher temperatures will cause grain and oil seed crops to mature more rapidly, but the risk of crop failure will increase, especially where precipitation decreases or becomes more variable, Vilsack said.

Horticulture crops like tomatoes, onions and fruit, which are more sensitive to climate change, will suffer, Vilsack said.

Hotter summers are also expected to increase livestock mortality and decrease livestock productivity due to changes in consumption and lower pregnancy rates, Vilsack said.

Weeds will grow more rapidly with higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, expand their range northward and be less sensitive to herbicide applications, the agriculture secretary said.

"Disease and pest prevalence will escalate as a result of short, warmer winters, which will challenge crops, livestock and our forest system," Vilsack said. "It is clear to us that climate change will affect agriculture and has already begun to do so."

Fitzgerald said these "21st century problems" will drive innovation.

Fitzgerald said the atmosophere in Copenhagen was "incredibly interesting."

"I stood in line for five hours for my creditentials with demonstrators, a priest, businessmen and scientists. Some of the best thinkers in the world were at Copenhagen. There were thousands of people in line. Everyone was standing in the freezing cold," she said.

On The Net.

www.usdairy.com

  • VIEW VIDEO: Vilsack and Fitzgerald announce an agreement with U.S. dairy producers to cut greenhouse gases.


Grant: 419-427-8412,

Send an e-mail to Denise Grant


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9 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Quickledo wrote:
life's work is hoax based
“ ....have known the Fitzgerald family for more than 50 years, going back to west Akron and Erin's great-grandmother, and consider her grand father, William T., one of the most important people in Findlay's history. It's unfortunate that an intelligent person such as Erin has based her life's work on the greatest scientific hoax of our lifetime -- man-made, or in this case, cow-made global warming. ”
Saturday, December 19, 2009 9:59:51 AM
Thomas Stokes wrote:
PHD
“ It is just like old Ray Roach motto from Roto-Rooter, "your sh_t is my bread and butter!!"

My brother always told me that I could fall into a bucket of sh_t and come out smelling like a rose, I believe this has taken that to the next level !!!

That fellow that did all the talking could power a house with that speech.
If we could find a way to capture and convert the energy spent on speeches in Washington DC. We could become Energy Independant.
 ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 8:22:28 PM
JM wrote:
It's NINE Billion, not NINETY
“ If you check this link:

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/worldpopgraph.php

It obviously shows the US census estimates for the world's population to be about 9 billion in 2050. Which is quite scary enough! ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 2:06:20 PM
Wrong wrote:
The correct number should be 9B
“ 90 Billion is incorrect. You do realize that means a more than a factor of 10 increase between now and then. In 40 years, there will be 10+ people for every 1 person. To get that type of increases, it would have to be explosive birth date increases. If you check the UN's prediction it's around 10B, also the US Census Bureau has it at 9.309 Billion in 2050. ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 12:45:11 PM
Bob Lablaw wrote:
World Population
“ Umm... I think we can agree that current population is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6.5 billion... I have to assume that if the US census bureau has published that number they must have made a rounding error... please give some thought to what sort of astronomical birth rate and complete lack of deaths would be necessary to increase population 14X in only 40 years.
9 or 10 billion is scary enough given limited resources... no climate change treaty would help feed a world population of 90 billion maybe not even 9 billion.
Kudos to Ms. Fitzgerald for being involved in the process though. Whether you agree that humanity is responsible for climate change or not, it cant hurt to have people/countries engaged in studying it, sharing science and looking for answers. ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 12:38:45 PM
Mike wrote:
90 Billion Population?
“ Wow, Do you really believe the Census Bureau? There is no way the world population will be 90 billion by 2050, there is 6-7 billion people on the Earth now, this sounds like another exaggerated figure by the government, they throw these numbers out there to scare people, like with this whole Global warming crap, money, money, money, that's what is behind all this stuff, can you say SOCIALISM? ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 12:19:41 PM
ONLINE EDITOR wrote:
reply to "Bob Lablaw"
“ That figure is correct. The U.S. Census Bureau's International Data Base on world population projects 90 billion people on the planet by 2050. This is attributed to a drop in death rates while a birth rates hold steady. ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 9:42:09 AM
Bob Lablaw wrote:
World Population
“ I think there is a mistake in your population figure... definately not 90 billion. Did you mean 9 billion? ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 8:42:09 AM
Dave wrote:
FHS grad
“ To clarify the statement made that "methane gas digesters take the gas emmissions from cows" to make electricity. More specifically, they take the gas emissions FROM COW'S MANURE to generate electricity by anaerobic digestion.This is accomplished in a manure holding tank, not by an apparatus hanging from the cow as the writer seemed to lead us to believe in the article.
While not on board with the whole global warming thing, kudos to Ms.Fitzgerald for what sounds like a very bright and promising career in the ever growing agricultural field. ”
Friday, December 18, 2009 7:55:28 AM
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Lauger's Carpet One
News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.